Portrayal of people living with lived experiences of mental distress in Aotearoa.
This resource is an update of the earlier Media Guidelines developed by Nōku te Ao which works to end prejudice and discrimination against people with experience of mental distress.
One in five New Zealanders will experience a mental health problem this year, and more than half of us will go through distress or mental illness at some point in our lives.
Too often, people who experience mental distress are spoken about in ways that reinforce stigma, fear or shame. When stories are told with care and thoughtfulness, the media can help create space for understanding, spark hope, and affirm the dignity of tāngata whaiora.
This Resource supports journalists, editors, producers and communicators to report on mental distress in a way that upholds the mana of all people, with care, cultural awareness, and accuracy.
The Media Resource weaves together expert media insight, tāngata whaiora (lived experience), and te ao Māori perspectives.
Download and print the guidelines and checklist on the Nōku te Ao website here.
The law and suicide reporting
The Coroner’s Amendment Act 2016 – What does it mean for New Zealand media?
To help protect vulnerable people there are some restrictions in New Zealand on what can be made public about a suicide or suspected suicide. These are set out in Section 71 of the Coroners Act 2006. The Act was amended in 2016 to clarify the restrictions.
Unless you have an exemption from the chief coroner, you can’t make public:
- the method or suspected method of the death
- any detail (like the place of death) that might suggest the method or suspected method of the death
- a description of the death as a suicide before the coroner has released their findings and stated the death was a suicide (although the death can be described as a suspected suicide before then).
‘Making public’ doesn’t just mean news reports and other media – it includes things like public posts on Facebook too.
Individuals and media may apply to the chief coroner for an exemption to these restrictions.
Please note: if a death occurred before 22 July 2016, only the person’s name and age is about to be published before the coroner releases their finding. If a coroner finds the person did take their own life, only the person’s name, address, occupation and that their death was a suicide may be published.
Sometimes, the coroner will release more information if it’s in the public interest.